Yo La Tengo's two sets at End Of The Road 2014 - review

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End Of The Road festival-goers were today (Sunday) treated to two very different sets by Hoboken’s finest, Yo La Tengo, currently celebrating their 30th anniversary.

In the afternoon, Ira, Georgia and James commandeered the ornate 1895 Singing Theatre at Larmer Tree Gardens to stage their Freewheeling Yo La Tengo set, a quiet performance that featured Q&As from the crowd and some surprising covers.

So, as well as answering questions about the band’s favourite subjects at school (Georgia: “the rest period”), the best group ever (The Clean, according to Ira) and their happiest memories (James went for hour 14 of a massive Simpsons marathon), we got versions of Donovan’s “Season Of The Witch” and a Half Japanese track, along with minimal, hushed versions of their own “Autumn Sweater” and “Little Eyes”.

Less hushed and minimal is the group’s afternoon set on the Woods Stage, which features far less chat and far more feedback.

Aside from “Tom Courtenay”, the band skirt their more recognisable songs in favour of some deeper cuts, many showing off their noisier side. “Ohm” is laced with feedback, Ira Kaplan whirling his Jazzmaster around his head, and their customary cover of The Beach Boys’ “Little Honda” tonight lasts for nearly 10 minutes if you include its free noise middle section.

Some of Yo La Tengo’s quieter side is again shown, though, with tender renditions of “I’ll Be Around”, “The Summer”, a new arrangement of “Big Day Coming”, this time in a jauntier folk style, and the closing “Our Way To Fall”.

Yo La Tengo played:

[The Freewheeling set]

The Point Of It

Season Of The Witch

Satellite

[Half Japanese song]

Autumn Sweater

Little Eyes

[The Woods Stage set]

Shaker

Before We Run

Super Kiwi

Stockholm Syndrome

Season Of The Shark

Big Day Coming

The Summer

I’ll Be Around

Double Dare

Tom Courtenay

Ohm

Little Honda

Our Way To Fall

Tom Pinnock

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